The Legend of Zelda‘s Link took to the high seas in The Wind Waker, but he’s never truly adopted the life of piracy. If he did, though, there’s a good chance his adventure would look something like a meeting between The Legend of Zelda and Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.

This might seem like a pipe dream, but one new Steam game gets surprisingly close to delivering an amazing version of this combination. As ridiculous as the premise sounds on paper, you can now try a free demo to see for yourself if the unusual cocktail works.

Released on September 18 on Steam, Draco and the Seven Scales is an indie Metroidvania from developer Ice Goat Games that puts players in the role of a pirate captain who sets out on a journey to save his greatest treasure. But things get complicated quickly when dark magic and a deal with a kraken enter the picture.

Interestingly, the game lets you switch between two very different kinds of adventure. You can explore the world on foot, where you’ll find dungeons, enemies, puzzles, and items to collect. When you’re done with the land, you can climb aboard your ship and sail across the ocean, opening up different routes and discovering new areas along the way.

Like in The Legend of Zelda games, Draco and the Seven Scales features seven top-down dungeons, each filled with enemies, puzzles, and items, while the wider overworld gives you plenty of reasons to explore rather than simply following a straight path from one objective to another.

And once you set sail, you’ll see Black Flag comparison starting to make sense. It’s not just about jumping into a boat to get from one island to another—your ship is also an important part of the adventure. You can upgrade its capabilities and cannons as you progress, and battles with enemy ships will have you face off with Her Majesty’s Royal Armada, alongside other bosses and rivals.

Draco and the Seven Scales also has plenty of the old-school charm you’d expect from a game inspired by classic top-down adventures. The visuals embrace Game Boy-inspired pixel art, while the soundtrack is built around melodic shanties that change depending on the areas you’re exploring. There are a plethora of items to discover, some useful for combat and puzzles and others tied to activities such as fishing.

If you’re not sure whether this particular mix of dungeon crawling and pirate adventure is for you, there’s an easy way to find out. Draco and the Seven Scales has a free demo available on Steam, so you can try its combination of exploration, puzzles, and sailing before deciding whether you want the full game. If you end up liking the demo, you can purchase the full version on Steam for $15.99, with an introductory 10% discount bringing it down to $14.39 until October 2.

If you’ve been looking for something unusual to play—like something that captures the feel of a classic The Legend of Zelda-style adventure but swaps the usual fantasy setting for pirates and open seas—Draco and the Seven Scales brings that intriguing combination to life. The Steam demo costs nothing, so there isn’t much stopping you from taking the ship out for a spin.

Brand

Valve

Original Release Date

September 12, 2003